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lucky2hunt

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Posts posted by lucky2hunt

  1. Posted · Report reply

    Unit 8 Archery Bull.... I had scouted, practiced, prepared, scouted some more and the practiced even more... It finally paid off! This is the third archery tag I have had, the first two I was unsuccessful.

     

    The first week of the season was quiet, too quiet, no bugles at all, absolute silence morning and evening. Tried to stalk mornings, but usually ended bumping up everything. Sat 3 days (18 hours) at particular water hole/wallow where I knew there were a couple of bulls hanging out, they would never come in until way after dark. I became so frustrated, you wait to get these tags for what seems forever, you dream of the day you can chase bugles and when that day comes, there are no bugles. Day after day we would get up at 4:30 a.m. get to our spot and....nothing!

     

    Day 6 I go sit in my Double Bull at a tank in the morning where a good friend of mine killed his first bull years ago, there is no water in it, just a nasty, smelly, mud pit! (perfect) That morning I actually start to hear bugles, I hear fighting and a lot of movement around the wallow. I start to see elk, I pass on four different spikes and a very small 5 point. I also see 12 turkeys and 13 deer, whew... I have finally found the elk again. I go back in the afternoon to sit until dark. The valley the wallow is in starts to come alive around 3:30, I hear chuckles, bugles, crashing and banging. As the evening draws near, the wind is swirling, I hear a elk bark, I look out the side window and there is a 5x5 staring me down, he circles the wallow and takes 20 minutes to finally commit to coming in. The whole time I keep talking to myself to try to stay semi-calm. The bull finally goes into the wallow, he is still nervous, before he can start to wallow he puts his nose up in the air and I know I'm busted, he turns to leave as I draw my Mathews Drenalin, I have a 40 yard quartering away shot, I squeeze the trigger and watch my arrow fly. It hits and I see the bull explode out of the wallow, he takes 4-5 strides away from me then all of a sudden he starts the 'drunk stumble walk' then not more than 40 yards he goes down in a small oak thicket, he never knew what hit him! I tried to text my husband, I was shaking so bad I had to keep starting over, at last I get a text sent to him, it says "Bring your skinning knife" It took him 20 minutes to get there, we walked over to my bull and it hits me... I have finally realized my dream of harvesting a Arizona Bull Elk with my bow!!! What an amazing feeling!

     

    Once again I have to thank my husband, the greatest 'Sherpa' a wife could ask for! Also, again I need to thank everyone at Bull Basin Archery in Flagstaff. They took the time to tune my bow, fletch my arrows perfectly to my broadheads and they helped me stay confident with my equipment. Also thanks to all the people who gave me suggestions and advice on this unit, everything helped!

     

    It is not a monster bull, but he's my first archery bull and I'm really proud at how hard I worked to get him!

    Ilene

     

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  5. Posted · Report reply

    Amazing! That doesn't even come close to describing the experience... I just returned from a 7 day hunt with Zingeli Safaris in South Africa, after the hunt we took another week to site see. My husband didn't hunt, I felt bad that he had to sit in blinds with me all day or watch patiently as I stalked my game, so I figured I better show him more of S. Africa. :rolleyes: We went to Kruger National Park and then to Cape Town. By the end of the trip we were exhausted but so pleased with our experience.

     

    The game was plentiful, never boring, so many new and exciting things to see from our pit blinds. No shot over 23 yards, only two animal went over 40 yards after the shot. I'm also proud to say, some of the animals will make Gold Medal in the SCI Book. After a day of hunting we sat around a fire with good S. African beer and delicious S. African wine. The food was incredible and our accommodations were first class. No t.v. or computer :o , I thought it would bother me to be 9 days with no news from the outside world, but it was so nice just to relax. Our PH was amazing, his passion for hunting was hard to match. All in all a great time, I'm already bugging my husband to take me back, I still have a list of animals I need to get!

     

    I need to thank the guys at Bull Basin Archery here in Flagstaff, they had me set up and confident with my Mathews. They were even patient with me when I started obsessing and in the shop every day! :rolleyes: Also to Tim Neal with TrophySeekers World Wide for setting up the trip and helping me with broadhead selection!

     

    The biggest Thanks goes to my husband, it's hard to explain the passion I have for hunting, but he goes along with it and tries to understand and is always there to support me and my crazy whims and ideas!

     

    Now it's time to concentrate on my bull elk hunt only a few weeks away! I'M LIVING THE DREAM!!! :P :P :P

     

    My equipment included: Mathews Drenalin, Carbon Express Maxima Hunter 350 arrows, And the F-15 Carbon Express broadhead.

     

    Our room:

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    The end of the day, check out my husband's shirt!!!

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    Nyala or also called "The Prince of Africa"

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    Gnarly Warthog:

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    Kudu!!!

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    54-55"

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    Impala:

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    Wildebeest:

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    Zebra:

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    Thanks for looking!

    Ilene

  13. Posted · Report reply

    :P Ha ha Sorry! Had a great time, got there a little late on Tues. had a hard time finding a camp, it seems like everyone went up the weekend before and set up camp and then left. We stayed at Winn campground the first night, then took the Ranger out at 5:30 the next morning to look for a camp. Found an amazing, secluded spot off FS rd 112 for ourselves and our friends (4 trailers) for the next 6 days. Rain every day and cool temps, but still extremely nice and beautiful. Spent the first couple of days doing nothing! Sitting under a tree and relaxing. Kids fished Sunrise, my son had a huge trout on his line while in a float tube, got it up to the tube then lost it, he was still thrilled. I was busy with the shoot Sat. & Sun. but squeezed in a little fly fishing at Lee Valley, caught a real nice Apache, wind and rain made it a little difficult. Walked up a hill behind camp and had a perfect seat for the firework display, adults got a bigger kick out of them than the kids I think! All in all a perfect week (well if I could of shot better it would have been perfect).

     

    Going back next week for the Bowhunter, will hopefully camp in the same spot. This time I hope to get a little more fishing in! :rolleyes: AND Better shooting!!! ;)

     

    Hope to see some CW fans up there!

    Ilene

    Pic of my husband getting assuming the "relaxation position"

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  19. Posted · Report reply

    Did anyone graze on the wild strawberries growing on the ski runs?

     

    RR

    :lol: I was eating them all day! The other girls I shot with thought I was crazy! They were so sweet!!! There was plenty of elk sign up there also, I could just picture in my mind, the elk up there feasting on them all night long!

     

     

  21. Posted · Report reply

    Hey Doug,

    It was great to meet you finally! Hope you shot better than I did... Course #3 embarrassed me, but I redeemed myself over on #4 the next day! I wore my CW shirt on Friday and did notice a couple of stickers on trucks! I did see spotlighters going out before dark one night. We were camped in a beautiful, isolated spot tucked into the trees across a meadow off of the 112. Had fun at the shoot and had an amazing time camping. Even got in a little fly fishing to boot!!! :rolleyes: Great pics once again Doug, it's such a beautiful area.

    Ilene

  24. Posted · Report reply

    Going to the shoot at Sunrise, we are leaving tomorrow (Tuesday). Last time we were there the 273 road was still closed as was the forest (too dry) so we camped in the camp ground there at Sunrise. Not familar with the area at all, we would like to camp off the 273 rd, close to the shoot but in Nat. Forest, are there plenty of spots off that road or are we better off going somewhere else? We will have non-shooters with us hoping to be close to fishing.

     

    Thanks for any help,

    Ilene

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